Psychology: Freudian Theory

Freudian Theory

Key Concepts

• Unconscious mind: contains repressed thoughts, feelings, and memories that are inaccessible to conscious awareness but influence behavior and emotions
• Id: primitive, instinctual part of the mind seeking immediate gratification
• Ego: rational, logical part of the mind that mediates between the id and reality
• Superego: moral component of the mind that incorporates moral principles and values

Structure of Personality

• Conscious: contains current thoughts, feelings, and perceptions
• Preconscious: contains memories and information that are not currently in conscious awareness but can be easily accessed
• Unconscious: contains repressed thoughts, feelings, and memories inaccessible to conscious awareness

Defense Mechanisms

• Repression: pushing unpleasant thoughts or memories into the unconscious mind
• Denial: refusing to acknowledge uncomfortable realities
• Projection: attributing one's own unacceptable thoughts or feelings to someone else
• Rationalization: creating logical explanations to justify unacceptable behavior
• Displacement: redirecting emotions from the original source to a more acceptable target

Stages of Psychosexual Development

• Oral Stage (0-1 year): fixation on oral satisfaction, weaning can lead to fixation
• Anal Stage (1-3 years): fixation on bowel movements, toilet training can lead to fixation
• Phallic Stage (3-6 years): fixation on genitalia, Oedipus complex emerges
• Latency Stage (6-12 years): repression of sexual feelings, focus on social and cognitive development
• Genital Stage (12+ years): mature, adult sexuality emerges

Psychoanalytic Techniques

• Free Association: client speaks freely about their thoughts and feelings
• Dream Analysis: analyzing dreams to uncover unconscious conflicts and desires
• Transference: client's feelings towards important figures in their life are redirected towards the analyst

Freudian Theory

Key Concepts

• The unconscious mind contains repressed thoughts, feelings, and memories that influence behavior and emotions
• The id is the primitive, instinctual part of the mind seeking immediate gratification
• The ego is the rational, logical part of the mind that mediates between the id and reality
• The superego incorporates moral principles and values, serving as the moral component of the mind

Structure of Personality

• The conscious contains current thoughts, feelings, and perceptions
• The preconscious contains memories and information not currently in conscious awareness but easily accessible
• The unconscious contains repressed thoughts, feelings, and memories inaccessible to conscious awareness

Defense Mechanisms

• Repression involves pushing unpleasant thoughts or memories into the unconscious mind
• Denial involves refusing to acknowledge uncomfortable realities
• Projection involves attributing one's own unacceptable thoughts or feelings to someone else
• Rationalization involves creating logical explanations to justify unacceptable behavior
• Displacement involves redirecting emotions from the original source to a more acceptable target

Stages of Psychosexual Development

• The oral stage (0-1 year) involves fixation on oral satisfaction, with weaning potentially leading to fixation
• The anal stage (1-3 years) involves fixation on bowel movements, with toilet training potentially leading to fixation
• The phallic stage (3-6 years) involves fixation on genitalia, with the Oedipus complex emerging
• The latency stage (6-12 years) involves repression of sexual feelings, with a focus on social and cognitive development
• The genital stage (12+ years) involves the emergence of mature, adult sexuality

Psychoanalytic Techniques

• Free association involves the client speaking freely about their thoughts and feelings
• Dream analysis involves analyzing dreams to uncover unconscious conflicts and desires
• Transference involves the redirection of client's feelings towards important figures in their life towards the analyst

Psychoanalytic Theory: Id, Ego, and Superego

Id

• Present at birth, the Id is the most primitive part of the personality
• Operates on the "pleasure principle," seeking immediate gratification of needs and desires
• Demands instant satisfaction, without considering consequences or reality
• Has no sense of morality or logic, only focusing on pleasure and avoidance of pain
• Completely unconscious, with no sense of self or rational thought

Ego

• Develops from the Id as the individual learns to navigate the environment
• Mediates between the Id's desires and the demands of reality
• Operates on the "reality principle," considering the consequences of actions
• Has a sense of self and rational thought, using logic to make decisions
• Balances the demands of the Id, Superego, and reality to find socially acceptable behaviors

Superego

• Develops as the individual internalizes moral values and norms from caregivers and society
• Incorporates the conscience, providing a sense of right and wrong
• Censors the Id's desires, promoting socially acceptable behavior and moral principles
• Comprises two components: Conscience (critical, moral component) and Ego Ideal (aspirational, idealized self)

Interactions between Id, Ego, and Superego

• Id and Superego are in constant conflict, with the Ego mediating between them
• Ego must balance the demands of the Id for pleasure and the Superego's moral code
• A healthy balance between the three structures is essential for psychological well-being and adaptive behavior